Havana is a city finely attuned to its past, its anguishes, its ruins, and its soaring spirit. Nothing speaks better of this than the city’s historical center – Habana Vieja (Old Havana), a place that has been ravaged by time, unscathed by sprawling modern urban development, and is being carefully burnished back into the most radiant jewel in the Caribbean.

Over the last decade the Office of the Havana City Historian has accelerated a campaign to preserve the historic center's truly amazing and illustrious architectural and historical heritage.

Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1982, Old Havana is home to 900-odd historical buildings from the baroque to the neoclassical, museums to churches to Cuban courtyard mansions. You'll walk arcades, and gaze at balconies, that date from the 16th to 19th centuries. The heart of the old city is the iconic Calle Obispo, neatly lined art galleries, shops, music venues, paladars, connecting Havana’s promenade, Plaza de Armas to the Parque Central. The area’s other prominent plazas – Plaza de San Francisco, Plaza Vieja, Plaza de la Catedral – are all part of the most striking urban tableau in the Caribbean.

It’s only natural that tourists are enthralled by the old city's charm, and refreshed by its colors, plazas, colonial architecture, 16th century fortress, lively street lives, and endless salsa dancing.

But beyond that, and behind the curvaceous waterfront known as the Malecón, Old Havana’s dust, dirt and mud have blended into locals’ daily existence. There is an unmistakable pride in Cuban’s eyes everywhere you look. From dilapidated buildings that seem to be frozen in collapse, people crane their necks out, gazing upon, joining in, and bringing spirit to life on the street. Identity is shaped by centuries of colonial rule, decades of revolution, and constant hope for continued progress. Life moves forward, in dignity and purpose, even in the most listless-looking buildings. This is the essence of Havana.

5 Esquinas Trattoria is located on the corner of the peculiarly-named “Sword alley,” a charming cobblestone street in the historic center of Havana. Indeed this is one of the most exciting restaurants in Old Havana. Pizzas here are the real deal and made in wood-fired oven.

La Domínica, a lovely Italian restaurant facing Hemingway’s Ambos Mundos hotel in Old Havana, is one of the best Italian restaurants in Havana. The food is reasonably priced, and the live music performance really upped the experience.

Like many things in Havana, getting a shave is like stepping into a time-machine. While I was in Havana attending the Habano Cigar Festival in February, I couldn't resist stopping by a local barbershop. Where else in the world can you get a shave and smoke a cigar at the same time? Now that's what I call “the good old days.”

This is a stop that visitors to Cuba have to make. Otherwise, what’s the point of visiting a country that is famous for its national drink - rum? Opened in 2000 by the country’s most famous rum brand Havana Club, the museum uses visuals and models to guide visitors through the whole rum-making process, from harvesting at sugarcane plantations to the final bottling process.

The former residence of Count Villanueva was turned into a courtyard-style boutique hotel in Old Havana in 1998. One of the 20-odd hotels run by the city’s hotel brand Habaguanex, the nine-room hotel has a red façade that opens up to a lush courtyard. A café is hidden in the back of the courtyard, where free-roaming birds and peacocks amble lazily. The lobby and reception are well furbished and the front desk staff are more than willing to provide suggestions for visiting Old Havana.

This is one of the most upscale restaurants in Havana, located in Plaza de San Francisco in Habana Vieja (the very professional and jacketed waiters traded off-street salsa with classic live piano performance). The decor is striking and grandiose; you'll regret it if you dress down.

French-style bakery is still a new concept in Havana, and you’d be surprised by how some local bakeries can turn out jaw-dropping, hard-as-a-rock chocolate muffins. Bianchini is in a class of its own, a bakery-cum-café that first opened near Plaza de Sanfrancisco over ten years ago.

Café El Escorial is the closest thing Havana has to Starbucks, minus the takeout services. If you insist, bring along your own mug or even a Ziploc bag (like Cubans do) for a café con leche, the holy grail at this quaint café shop on Plaza Vieja, for only $1.2 CUC!